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Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award goes to Asha Bhosle

Instituted in the memory of the late great singer, Lata Mangeshkar, on whom the highest civilian honour of India, the Bharat Ratna was bestowed by the Indian government, this is the second such annual honour that her family awards. The first one, given last year, went to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lata Mangeshkar, who sang thousands of songs, from the 1940s into the new millennium, passed away on 06 February 1922. She sang in numerous languages and composed music for a few films too. Deenanath was her father and guru, and a revered singer composer. All her siblings – Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath -  have made significant contributions to music, mainly film music.

It is the 81^st death anniversary of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar. The Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratisthan (Memorial Institute), which is a Charitable Trust, registered in Pune, set-up in his memory. For the last 33 years, this Institute felicitates legends from various fields, like music, drama, art, medicine and social work. Awards are distributed on the 24^th April every year, because that day marks the death anniversary of Master Deenanath, who died at the early age of 42. A Press Conference was held on 18 April, at Prabhu Kunj, the Mangeshkars’ family abode at Peddar Road, in South Mumbai, to announce the awards and give the media a chance to interact with the Mangeshkar family.

Present on the occasion were Usha Mangeshkar 87), Hridaynath (82), who is recovering from a long bout of illness, and Aadinath Mangeshkar (63). Aadinath was the main speaker and his father and aunt later answered the queries of the media. Lata’s other two sisters are Meena Mangeshkar (Khadikar, 91) and Asha Bhosle (now in her 90^th year). A true legend, Asha Bhosle has continued to be active well into her 80s.

Last year, when Narendra Modi agreed to receive the award, the joy of the Pratishthan members knew no bounds. He flew down from New Delhi, to receive the award in person. Sadly, for Hridaynath, fondly called Bal (boy) by his near and dear ones, the joy of being present on the occasion was denied to him, as he had recently taken ill. It is only after a year of treatment that there has been perceptible improvement in his health, and he will attend the event this year. The awards ceremony, which includes music and dance performances, will be held on the 24^th of April at Shanmukhananda Hall, Sion Mumbai. Music stars Rahul Deshpande (a classical music singer and the recipient of the 68th national award of the best playback singer for the biopic Mee Vasantrao. He is the grandson of another legendary singer, Vasantrao Deshpande), and A. Hariharan (playback singer, ghazal singer, fusion music guru) will be on stage. There will also be a kathak dance performance by Meghranjini Medhi and Marami Medhi (daughter and mother duo), who will be accompanied by Pandit Joyprakash Medhi (Meghranjini’s father, a singer and music composer) providing vocals, Pandit Pranshu Chaturlal and Vinay Mundhe on the table, and Shubham Ugale on the pakhawaj. Assamese dancer Meghranjini Medhi,33, is an international kathak Dancer from Assam, India, and a reputed actor in the Assamese film industry.

Asha Bhosle is a winner of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 2008, she was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour of the country, after the Bharat Ratna. One will need to write tomes in her praise, to do justice. Suffice to say that if there is one singer in India who is the torch-bearer of Lata Mangeshkar’s legacy, it is her sister Asha. Possessing a different tonal quality, she carved a niche for herself way back in the early 1950s. There is no hesitation in saying that among light/film music singers, she has no competition. Of course, the Asha of 2023 cannot sound like the Asha of 1953, but that hardly matters to those who have savoured her artistry over the decades. In 2013, Bhosle made her acting debut, in the Hindi film Mai, in the title role, at the age of 79. She played the role of a 65-year-old mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and is abandoned by her children. In May 2020, aged 87, Bhosle launched her YouTube channel named Asha Bhosle Official.

Other awardees in 2023 include Pankaj Udhas, mainly a ghazal singer, for his contribution to Indian music, Gauri Theatres of Prashant Damle Fan Foundation, for best play of the year, Niyam Va Ati Lagu, Shri Sadguru Seva Sangh, for “yeoman’s social service”, Granthali Prakashan with the Vagvilasini Puraskar, for contribution to literature, Prasad Oak with the Vishesh Puraskar, for contribution to cinema and Drama, and Vidya Balan with the Vishesh Puraskar for contribution to cinema. A three-member committee shortlisted the awardees after a selection process. Each award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1,11,000 and certificate.

Prabhu Kunj has very fond memories for this writer. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970, I was a member of a youth organisation called the Junior Jaycees. We often held our monthly meetings at the hall on the ground floor of this building. I also have precious memories of interviewing Lata Mangeshkar at her home, in the same building, during the mid-1980s.